Bandarenka: Proposals to Discontinue Support of Belarusian Media Made by Special Services of Russia

Reasons why it is dangerous to cut assistance to Belarusian independent mass media.

There is an interview with Dzmitry Bandarenka, coordinator of the European Belarus campaign, on Belsat TV channel.

- The Norwegian journalist Erika Fatland has recently released a story about her trip to Belarus. She spent there a few days and did not meet people who supported Lukashenka. She was in Kazakhstan, Russia, and met many adherents of dictators Nazarbaev, Putin. The situation in Belarus differs. This is good news. And if Lukashenka is being mentioned now, then a strong word is usually added. But Putin is also popular in Belarus. I even know that among technical intelligentsia things are like that. According to sociological data, more than 50% of Belarusians supported an annexation of Crimea by Russia and actually aggression of Russia on the Donbas. It proves the fact that there is no information propaganda against the Russian one in Belarus.

The activity of mass media inland and those working for Belarus abroad is in danger. The assistance is being cut. If the tendency continues, we may have not 50%, but 70% of Belarusians who support aggressive projects of Russia. And there will be no difference between, for instance, Kaliningrad region and Belarus.

- What is the reason for reduction of support of mass media by the West? Have the Belarusians brought discredit to themselves somehow? It mentions the EHU, Tell the Truth campaign and so on.

- There are such concepts like "information security" and "hybrid war" with a really strong information side. My version is that Russia will use various levers to influence western politicians to cut assistance to independent mass media, inter alia, Belarus' ones. I know the Belarusian government takes steps in the same direction. I would pay a special attention to Tell the Truth campaign. I think it is the KGB's project and Nyaklyayew told about it. This is the case when pseudo-projects are launched and then it is said: "OH! Look, what axe political schemes they use!" It was clear at once that it used to be the government's project. Perhaps, they also gained Western money. These are such technologies of Belarusian and Russian special services.

- There is a media projects known as Sputnik, it deals with "purchase" of well-known people. How much is this phenomenon threatening?

- Lukashenka is the part of the "Union State", the Russians understood he would lose the information war to his independent mass media and therefore there should be such projects like "Sputnik".

I know the head of the project - Andrei Kachuro - we used to work on the RTR TV channel. He is an interesting person, a professional, he is a former KGB officer.

- However, there are really interesting people involved in the Sputnik project, including those who were mentioned in an independent Belarusian movement. Is it possible that these people working on Sputnik will earn confidence of a certain audience and in a "rush hour" will be replaced with Kremlin trolls and it will result in multiple strengthening of Russian propaganda?

- Lifenews, Sputnik, Russia Today are actually projects of the Russian Ministry of Defence. And they should be treated like that.

- The West does not wear rose-coloured spectacles towards Russia's aggression. Why does the West surrender its positions in Belarus? Why?

- Well, this is absolutely illogical thing. There was hope that as soon as they understood what the hybrid war and its information component meant they would increase financing of independent media in Belarus and there would be established new Russian democratic media, including media which could work for Crimea and Donbas. But the situation differs: There were rumours that Belsat should be closed, because it worked on Belarusian and most of Belarusians spoke Russian. There is a need to close the Charter and other projects including educational ones. And this is surprising.

To resist Russian Putin's propaganda there is a need to close down Belarusian independent mass media or reduce support. Therefore, I return to my first thought: this is work of Russian special services. And it's quite successful. And someday we will find out who was under pressure or was corrupted in the West.

- Even our government recognizes that Russia has a great influence in the information field of Belarus. However, they timidly say they will take actions. Is it late for them to wake up?

-This is the only crew. Maybe Lukashenka would like to change something, but the Russians act systematically, invest great resources, buy up the best journalists. There is a number of factors why Lukashenka has lost his popularity here. It includes the activity of the independent media, his activity on a regular deception of the Belarusian people and, of course, his dull attitude towards Russian propaganda.

But we – Europeans, Belarusian patriots – must oppose it, defend our interests, explain to our western partners, our colleagues-journalists about the danger of the situation. Western bureaucrats do not care about us and our security, but if Belarus is the part of Russia, it will be of serious hazard to everyone. Both to Poland and NATO.

It will be the hazard of a different level.